


Model Ships

by YourLocalPriestess



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Couple Fight, M/M, Resolution, set in the Damages universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 16:51:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11878734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourLocalPriestess/pseuds/YourLocalPriestess
Summary: Jax Shepard has been making model ships for years now, and he's come to think he's pretty good at them. How will he react when he realizes he's had a helping hand along the way?





	Model Ships

**Author's Note:**

  * For [joufancyhuh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/joufancyhuh/gifts).



> For Fanficiton Month Day 22! Prompt: One-shot from a long fic. This story is set in the Damages universe during me3.
> 
> Shoutout to @Joufancyhuh for giving me the idea ^_^

Cal palmed the control panel to enter the cabin without looking up from her omnitool. As the doors opened with a rush of air, she heard a clatter and a small _snap_. She frowned and shut off her tool while following the noise to Jax’s desk.

Kaidan was huddled over the desk with pieces of a ship model in his hands, and staring at her with wide, terrified eyes.

“Uhhh…”

“This is…” his eyes darted from the ship model pieces in his hands and back up to her, “not what it looks like.”

“I don’t even know what I’m _looking at_ , Major,” she replied, both eyebrows rising into the air.

He quickly began piecing the toy back together and shooting her harried glances as he did. “Just…don’t tell Jax. Please.”

“That’s, uh, going to be problematic.” When he gave her a confused look she forced out a tight, almost guilty, smile.

“What do you–”

His question was cut off as the door opened again, followed by the _thud thud_ of heavily booted feet approaching them.

Kaidan swore under his breath.

Jax appeared around the corner much the same as Cal had - his nose in an omnitool and not paying attention. He smiled when he noticed her. “Oh, good! You’re here.” But as he turned to his desk and his eyes fell on Kaidan, who had become as still as a statue, a frown formed on his face. “What are you doing?”

“Umm…”

“Why is that ship in pieces? I built it last night.”

The fear in Kaidan’s eyes was almost enough to make her laugh, were it not for the absolute seriousness in Jax’s tone.

“I was just making some adjustments…” Kaidan said slowly, not taking his eyes off the commander in the same way a mouse doesn’t take its eyes off a cat as it sneaks by.

“Again,” Jax said, tone clipped to the point it could draw blood, “I built it _last night_.”

Kaidan pursed his lips and opened and closed his mouth a total of three times before finally speaking. “You built it wrong.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jax bit out, his voice finally beginning to rise in volume.

“You know? I think I’m gonna go. We can meet later Jax,” she said.

Her attempts at nonchalance were met with a grunt. Jax didn’t look away from the other man as he said, “Later.”

She ignored the panicked look Kaidan shot her way and darted for the door “See you around!” she threw over her shoulder, and vanished into the hall before the explosion went off.

 

Later on, Cal found Jax at the coffee pot in the mess, emptying it and scowling when it didn’t fill his cup.

“We can always make more,” she hedged, smirking up at him as she approached.

“Not the point,” he grunted.

“I’m guessing your spat with Kaidan didn’t go well?” she asked. When he didn’t respond she bumped him out of the way with her hip and began refilling the pot. “Don’t be too hard on him. It’s just ship models.”

“It’s not though. He’s micromanaging. He thinks I can’t handle this.” He glared into the cup that he had yet to take a drink from. The coffee pot began to hiss and drip.

Cal cocked her hip. “Maybe he’s not wrong.” When Jax turned to her with the fire of demons in his eyes, she held up one finger. He pursed his lips and, surprisingly, waited. “I’ve been where you are Shepard. Literally. You and I aren’t the type to ask for help. We’re not the type to even know if we _need_ help, really. If you walk into your cabin and see the ship you spent your leisure time on fell apart because you didn’t do it right, it only adds to your stress, even if it doesn’t seem like it.” She gave him a half smile and rubbed his arm. “He’s just trying to take on what he can. That’s all.”

Jax stewed in silence for a long minute. Long enough for her to hunt down her cup, clean up other dishes, and then fill her own cup, before he spoke.

“I don’t want him to have to take this shit on himself. It’s my responsibility.” He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “ _Our_ responsibility.”

She took a sip and shrugged. “So let him have this small way of helping. What’s it gonna hurt?”

He scowled and finally took his first sip. “I suppose you have a point.”

She grinned then and patted his back twice. “Of course I do.”

He snorted and shook his head, though a smile was breaking across his face. “Ass.”

“ _Smart_ ass,” she corrected, with a wink.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It's incredibly kind of you and I don't deserve your beautiful little soul. <3
> 
> Any comments/kudos/what-have-yous are appreciated ^_^


End file.
